A recently introduced Assembly bill may put a stop to unsolicited calls during election season.

Current Wisconsin law bans the use of automated, computerized calls known as “robocalls” for commercial purposes, but not for political purposes. However, some legislators have argued the robocalls are an invasion of voter privacy, especially to those already on the Do Not Call Registry.

Currently, there is a bipartisan effort to ban the robocalls for Wisconsin residents who are already on the Do Not Call list, which identifies citizens who sign up as someone who does not want to receive telemarketing calls. Sign up is free for all Wisconsin citizens who are residential telephone customers, although citizens can also add their cell phone numbers to the list.

In a statement, Sen. Jim Holperin, D-Eagle River, who cosponsored the bill to prohibit the use of robocalls, said voters who have signed up on the non-solicitation directory should not have be bothered with robocalls.

Although he formally used robocalls himself, Holperin added there are many other ways politicians can get their message out to citizens without resorting to robocalls that invade a voter’s privacy.

According to Jason Culotta, spokesperson Rep. Roger Roth, R-Appleton, author of the bill, Roth took notice of voters’ frustration early on.

“When he was knocking on the doors, many people told him they were frustrated to receive campaign calls when they are on the Do Not Call list,” Culotta said.

Roth introduced the first bill to place a ban on robocalls in the last state legislative session, but it failed to pass pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution. He reintroduced the bill to the Democratic majority Legislature this session.

Beverly Speer, advocacy director at Wisconsin Democracy Campaign, explained previously introduced proposals to change the use of robocalls were discouraged during the Republican majority Legislature.

“I believe that Rep. (Spencer) Black also introduced a similar bill earlier last session — it didn’t go through,” Speer said.

She added Black’s approach to robocalls is different from Roth’s because it was an “opt-in” process, requiring an individual’s consent in participating robocalls. The current proposal is an “opt-out” process, so all citizens on the Do Not Call list will not receive robocalls at all.

Considering the future of the bill, Culotta remained cautiously optimistic.

“Hopefully, the bill gets passed so that unsolicited, bombarded calls can be avoided, but political parties don’t like these things,” Culotta said.

Republican Party of Wisconsin spokesperson Kirsten Kukowski pointed out the benefits of robocalls.

“It is a rather inexpensive and effective tool both parties use to reach voters. Limiting robocalls will only make it more costly to campaign, increasing the already exorbitant amount of money needed to run for elected office, and we’re not sure that’s an improvement,” Kukowski said in an e-mail to The Badger Herald.

She also added the Republican Party used robocalls during the last election.

The Democratic Party of Wisconsin declined to comment on the issue.